Reversible chair for railroad-coaches.



N0. 692,333. Patentod FBI). 4, I902.

- H. C. ORB & G. MATHEWS.

REVERSIBLE CHAIR FOR RAILROAD COACHES.

(Application filed Apr. 25, 1901.) (No Model.) 5 Sheets-Shut I.

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Patented Feb. 4, I902.

H. G. 0BR & G. MATHEWS.

- REVERSIBLE CHAlR FOR RAILROAD COACHES.

(Application filed. Apr. 25, 1901.)

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(No Model.)

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Patented Feb 4, I902.

H. C. 0BR & G. MATHEWS.

REVERSIBLE CHAIR FOB RAILROAD COACHES.

(Appiication filed Apr. 25, 1901.)

5 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

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Nu. 692,333. I Patented Fab. '4, I902.

H. C. ORR &. G. MATHEWS.

REVERSIBLE CHAIR FUR RAILROAD COACHES.

(Application filed Apr. 25, 1901.)

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No. 692,333. Patented Feb. 4, I902.

H. C. 0BR & G. MATHEWS. REVERSIBLE CHAIB FOR RAILROAD COACHES..

(Applicltion filed-Apr. 25, 1901.)

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IHII

Illll UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY O. ORR AND GEORGE MATHEYVS, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

REVERSIBLE CHAIR FOR RAILROAD-COACHES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 692,338, dated February 4, 1902. Application filed April 25, 1901. Serial No- '7,388. (No modelJ To all whom, it may concern:

- GEORGE MATHEWS, citizens of the United States, and residents of Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented new and useful Improvements in Reversible Chairs for Railway Coaches, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to reversible chairs more especially intended .for use in passenger-coaches; and the object of our invention is to produce a reversible chair of simple durable construction and so arranged that the back of any chair in a row of chairsv may be lowered to a horizontal position between the seat of the same chair and the seat of an adjacent chair, thereby forming the middle portion of a couch of which the ends are formed by the seats, as described hereinafter.

A further object of our invention is to produce a latch of novel construction for locking the back of the chair in position at either side of the seat-cushion, as will be fully described hereinafter.

We will proceed to fully describe our invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a reversible chair embodying our invention. Fig. 2 is a partly-sectional elevation of the same, omitting the rack from the seat-frame. Fig. 3 is a similar view, the back-cushion, the headrest, and the head-rest rack being removed and the seat-cushion tilted for greater comfort of the occupant. Fig. 4 is a broken-away elevation of the back-frame of one of the chairs, showing the head-rest as supported thereby, the back-cushion being omitted. Fig. 5 is an end view of the head-rest detached. Fig. 6 is asection of the seat-frame and the head-rest rack, the back-posts being broken ofi. Fig. 7 is a plan view of the seat-frame with the head-rest rack in the position shown in Fig. 6, the back-posts being omitted and the back-braces broken oh. Figs. 8, 9, and 10 are enlarged detail views of one of the locking devices, Fig. 9 being a section on line a b of Fig. 8, and Fig. 10 beinga section on line 0 d of Fig. 9. Fig. 11 is a side elevation of two chairs constructed in accordance with our invention, the back of one chair lowered to form a couch in connection with the back of the chair comprises two backposts 5, connected by oblique braces 6, to which are secured horizontal braces 6, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4:. Each back-post 5 is connected to the adjacent side casting 4. by a brace 7, pivotally secured at 8 and 9 to the post and side casting,respectively. Formed in the top of each casting 4 are two sockets 5, equidistant from the pivots 9. The lower ends of the back-posts 5 rest in two of these sockets at opposite sides of the chair and are automatically locked therein by devices described hereinafter. The back of the chair may be reversed by stepping the back-posts 5 over from one pair of sockets 5 to the other pair, as will be readily understood.

The back-cushions 12 are attached to the cross-braces 6 in any preferred manner-for example, forming the cushions integral at the top and dividing them at the bottom, as shown in Fig. 2, and securing their lower ends together by a strap 13 or in any other suitable manner. The cushions 12 may thus be quickly removed from the chair-back to be cleaned or upholstered.

We provide each chair with a detachable head rest 14:, the cushions of which are mounted on an internal cross-piece 14, to each end of which is secured a plate 15, provided with two pins or studs 16, which are supported by notches in lugs 17, secured to the inner sides of each backpost 5. The object of mounting the head-rest detachably will be'explained hereinafter.

The seat-cushion 18 is supported by a seatplate 19, preferably having upturned flanges around its edges for concealing the sides of the cushion at the bottom. The seat-cushion may be secured to the plate 19 in any preferred manner. Integral with or secured to each side of the seat-plate 19 are two depending feet 21, the lower end of each foot having a downwardly-opening notch 21.

When the seat-plate 19 is level, as shown in Fig. 2, the shoulders 21 on feet 21 rest on two transverse rods 22, the ends of which are mounted in sockets or holes in the side castings 4. Two rods 22 23 are provided for each foot 21, as shown, so that the seat may be inclined, as shown in Fig. 3, by raising the front of the seat-cushion and setting it forward, so as to engage the front rod 22 with the notch 21 of one of the feet 21. The recessed portion 21" of the other foot 21 will then rest on the front rod 23 adjacent to the other'rod 22. This provision for inclining the seats is made on account of the fact that some persons prefer an inclined seat as more comfortable than a level seat. The seat-cushion 18 may be tilted in the opposite direction in the manner described above, as will be readily understood. To permit the rods 22 23 to be inserted in their sockets when assembling the chair, one of the side castings 4 would be made separate from the bottom plate 3 and secured thereto by ears or flanges 4, as shown in Fig. 13; but the side castings 4 may both be integral with the bottom plate 3, and the rods 22 23 would then be secured thereto by means not requiringa separation of said castings. However, we consider the means for securing these rods to the side castings to be immaterial. Each side casting 4 is provided with two devices for locking the back-posts 5 in the sockets 5, one of said devices being shown in detail in Figs. 8, 9, and 10. Each back-post 5 has two notches formed therein near its lower end, as shown in Fig. 1 and elsewhere. One of said notches is entered by a spring-pressed latch 24 when the post is pressed down into one of the sockets '5. The enlarged end or head of the latch is mounted slidably in a rectangular slot milled in the side casting 4. The outer end of said slot is closed by a plate 25, secured to said casting and having an opening therein through which the latchbar extends. A spiral expansion-spring 26 is confined between plate 25 and the shoulders formed by the enlarged end of the latch 24 and holds the latch projected into the socket 5, as shown. The latch is partially divided vertically by an open slot, as shown, the purpose of which is to permit a springdetent 27 to be mounted within the latch. One end of the detent 27 is riveted or otherwise secured to the head of the latch, as shown, and its opposite end projects outwardly beneath the latch through the slot in plate 25., The detent is bent to form a shoulder 27, which will snap down outside of the plate 25 when the latch 24 is fully withdrawn and will thereby hold the latch back until the outer end of the detent is lifted by the finger far enough to release the shoulder 27' from the plate 25. The outer end of the latch 24 is provided with an eye 28, shaped as shown, by which the latch may be retracted to release the back-post when the back of the chair is to be reversed. Owing to the action of the detent 27, when the porter withdraws one of the latches 24 the adjacent back-post 5 is left free to be raised while the porter withdraws the companion latch in the opposite side casting 4. The chair-back may then be reversed, after which the porter releases the latches by tripping the detents 27.

Supposing a number of chairs constructed as described above to be arranged in a row, as in a railway-coach, with the seat-cushions 18 at the same distance apart as the height of one of the backcushions 12, Fig. 11, the back of one of the chairs may be lowered, as shown, with its back-posts resting upon the side castings of the adjacent chair, and its back-cushion 12 will then lie between the two seat-cushions, forming a couch, upon which a passenger may recline. When the tops of the back-posts 5 are shaped as shown, the side castings 4 are preferably recessed, as shown, to fit the upper ends of the back-posts, and thereby enhance the appearance of the chairs or couches.

To form a pillow for the occupant of the couch, one of the head-rests 14 is removed from a chair-back and supported at one end of the couch by a rack 29. (Shown in Figs. 6 and 7.) This rack comprises two arms 29 for supporting the pins 16 at the ends of the headrest 14, said arms being rigidly connected by cross-rods 31 32. The ends of rod 31 extend outwardly through the arms 29 and are pivotally mounted in sockets in two blocks or shoes 33, respectively, which are mounted slidably in horizontal grooves 34, cut in the inner faces of the side castings 4. The rack 29 is thus reversible and may be placed in either of the positions shown in Fig. 6. When the rack is in use, the arms 29 rest on either rod 22 23, and the arms 29 are provided with notches 35 for engaging said rods to prevent slipping of the rack when it is in use. The pins 16 at the ends of the head-rest-14 are inserted in notches 36 or 37 at the ends of the arms 29, and the head-rest is thereby firmly supported. When the rack 29 is not in use, the shoes or blocks 33 are run back to the ends of grooves 34 to permit the rack to be laid upon the plate 3, and when the seatcushion is replaced the rack is thus concealed and out of the way.

It will be understood that the rack 29 does not interfere with the feet 21 of the seat-plate 19, as the arms 29 lie adjacent to the side castings 4, while the feet 21 rest between (and close to) said arms 29.

The seat-cushion 18 is provided with a loop 38, (shown in Fig. 12,) by which the cushion may be lifted from the rods 22 23 to adjust the cushion or to give access to the rack 29, and each back-cushion 12 is provided with two loops 38, one on each side thereof, to facilitate the reversing or lowering of the back of the chair.

Having now described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In a reversible chair, a post forming a IIO part of the chair-back and havingtwo oppo sitely-arranged notches therein near its lower 1 end, a chair-frame having a socket for the lower end of said post formed in its side, and having a recess extending outwardly from one side of said socket, a latch mounted slidably in said recess, a perforated cap secured across the outer opening of said recess, the stem of said latch extending through said cap, and an expansion-spring confined between said cap and the head of said latch, for engaging the latch with one of the notches in the post, substantially as described.

2. In a reversible chair, a post forming a part of the chair-back and having a notch therein near its lower end, a chair-frame having a socket for the lower end of said post formed in its side, and having a .recess extending outwardly from said socket, a perforated cap secured across the outer opening of said recess, a latch mounted slidably in said recess its stem projecting through said cap, an eye at the outer end of said latch, a shoulder on said latch, an expansion-spring confined between said cap and shoulder, and

a spring-catch lying in a slot or groove in said latch, having one end thereof secured to the latch, and its free end projecting through said cap, said spring-catch engaging the edge of said cap when the latch is fully withdrawn, substantially as described.

3. In a reversible chair, a pair of posts forming the sides of the chair-back, braces connecting said posts, lugs secured to the inner sides of said posts near the upper ends thereof,

said lugs having notches therein, a cushioned head-rest, and pins projecting from the ends thereof, said pins resting within the notches in said lugs and being removable therefrom; substantially as described.

4. In a reversible chair, the side castings 4, each having a horizontal groove in its inner face, and a head-rest rack secured thereto comprising a pair of supporting-arms 29,crossrods 31, 32, connecting said arms, two slidable blocks mounted in said grooves respectively and having sockets entered by the cross rod 31 at the inner ends of said arms, said arms being provided with two sets of notches near their outer ends, substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. In a reversible chair, in combination, the side castings of the seat-frame, two pairs of transverse rods 22, 23, connecting said castings, a seat-plate 19, depending feet 21 se-' cured to said seat-plate and provided with notches 21' for engaging said rods 22, said feet 21 being further provided with shoulders 21 and upwardly-extending recesses 21", whereby said seat-plate may be inclined from a level position by shifting said feet upon said rods 22, 23; substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof we affix our signa tures in the presence of two witnesses.

HARRY O. ORR. GEORGE MATHEWS. Witnesses:

M. L. LANGE, K. M. lMBoDEN. 

